When Nick Woodman, GoPro's founder, was surfing some ten years ago, he had an idea. What if, instead of having to hold on to a camera, the camera held on to him? By changing his perspective, Woodman was able to revolutionize the action camera industry, and build a billion dollar business.

Enter sales training. GoPro has a huge challenge: to educate thousands of retail sales associates globally about GoPro's brand and products. And to do so in a way that shares the excitement and adventure of the GoPro brand.

So, instead of relying on just paper-based or online training, GoPro has developed a retail training program that is more like a playroom than a classroom. GoPro's digital training solutions connect retail sales associates to GoPro's brand and products, creating the opportunity for them to become fans of the brand. Sales associates actually have fun while they're being trained.

GoPro's digital training solutions deliver learning content within a rich experience. The approach is to instantly engage the user and help them find relevant and interesting content. GoPro training solutions help build a deeper emotional connection with the GoPro brand by doing things like integrating with social media and pulling GoPro fan-generated videos and pictures into the training environment. They are designed to inspire, engage, and educate the sales reps in a contextually relevant environment. By transforming the salesperson's relationship with the brand and its products, their training solutions ultimately aim to increase conversion at the point of sale.

I had the opportunity to connect with Nick Stagge, GoPro's Senior Global Training Manager to talk about what GoPro is doing in training, why they're doing it, and what their digital training components will bring to GoPro's sales associates.

Stagge, who has spent over ten years in training, knows retail sales first-hand, having worked in outdoor specialty retail for years before getting into training. Frustrated by traditional approaches to training, Stagge is enthusiastic about GoPro's approach. Stagge said, "GoPro is pushing the boundaries of traditional training. The fact that we are taking such a different approach to connecting with and educating our sales force shows that GoPro's hunger to innovate doesn't stop with our products."

BeyondCurious' next generation approach was the perfect fit for GoPro's digital training solutions. Stagge noted, "Last year, when we were trying to figure out how we should be competing for mind share in the retail space, our partner BeyondCurious pushed to do something completely different but also in line with the essence of GoPro. There are a lot of eLearning solutions, however few of these are capable of truly connecting with the sales associates in every store that sells our products. We push the boundaries and do things never done before so we can ensure our distribution and sales partners receive the best experience." GoPro's innovative digital training solutions help ensure that retail associates are more than just salespeople; they are also fans and consumers of GoPro products.

GoPro will showcase their retail training solutions at Outdoor Retailer (July 31 - Aug 2, 2013) in Salt Lake City. BeyondCurious is proud and excited to showcase the work we have co-created with GoPro. Representatives from GoPro and BeyondCurious, including GoPro's Nick Stagge, and BeyondCurious' CEO Nikki Barua will be at the event ready to answer your questions. GoPro will be giving classes on getting to know your Hero3, using your mounts, and working with GoPro studio. Additionally, GoPro is hosting a panel discussion on digital training each day of the conference from 11:30 am - 12 pm, where you can learn more about how GoPro is redefining training. Come by check out the training solutions first-hand, and say hi!

July 31 - August 2: Room 250D at the Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Full schedule and RSVP for the Training Village here.